Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1351 to 1375 of 1533 results

1351. Reword the Question

Illustration

Roger van Oech

Nothing clouds your mind like dogma. Dogma can come from an outside authority or it can be self-generated from one's past successes. Here are some examples: None other than Plato himself dictated that the circle was the perfect form for celestial movement, and for the next two thousand years, astronomers said that planetary orbits were circular even though their observations didn't quite jibe with that. Even Copernicus used circles in his heliocentric model of the universe. Only after much soul-searching ...

1352. Being Prepared

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Hurricane Bob was bearing down on the Atlantic coast. Safe in his home on that same coast, a man named J. R. thought he was well prepared. The power failed, but that didn’t faze him. As night fell, he simply fired up some oil lamps and placed his Coleman camping stove on top of the electric range in his kitchen to cook his dinner. So what if he had no electricity? He was able to enjoy a delicious meal thanks to his Coleman stove. He commended himself on his foresight. He went to bed secure in the knowledge ...

1353. Victorious, but Not Unscarred

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

I’m sure someone looked at the title of today’s message, “Victorious, But Not Unscarred” and thought, “Evidently the pastor just finished filling out [his] income tax form.” April 15th it’s not only income tax day as you may remember. It’s also the day the Titanic sunk and the day Lincoln was shot. Sometime back in California, a seventy-one year old grandmother pleaded not guilty to armed robbery, saying she had been driven insane by the Internal Revenue Service. That seems perfectly understandable to me. ...

1354. The Coat Off Your Back

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Thanksgiving — cornucopias, fall harvests, turkey and pumpkin pie, corn stalks, and scarecrows — outward signs associated with the holiday we celebrated only seventeen days ago. Even before Halloween and Thanksgiving ended, holiday colors had changed. Orange pumpkin lights were replaced by white or multicolored twinkling lights. A small town policeman looks forward every year to hanging his outside Christmas lights. His goal is to measure up to Chevy Chase's outlandish display in the movie, Christmas ...

1355. Fit the Picture

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

It was the History Day Parade at James T. Jones Elementary School. Each class picked a period of time to portray. The sixth grade chose the medieval days. Every student was to design a costume, and, of course, mom, auntie, grandma, or another family member - female or male - was to create it. Those who couldn't sew could make a placard or paper bag costume or wrap themselves in universal duct tape. Teddy and Mike were to be the front and back of a horse, translated into a spirited, knight's mighty steed. ...

1356. Bridge Builders

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

As the three cousins ran through the woods, jumping over fallen trees, zigzagging through knee-high ferns, and pushing branches out of their way, a chorus of laughter rose in the still air. "Don't be so pokey, Michael," teased his older cousin. "Watch out for that rock on the left," Sam warned the boys. A yelp went up as Jeremy stumbled. "Come on, come on. We're almost there," Sam hollered. "I can hear the river now and there's the bridge to Uncle David's camp." The boys lined up along the edge of the ...

1357. The End of The Beginning

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:50-53

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Three decades ago my nephew, Nathaniel, was a toddler when he discovered the full moon for the first time. For a day or two he would talk of nothing else. Then a week later he was out on a summer evening and looked in vain for the moon. He was genuinely puzzled. "Where did the moon go?" his mother asked him. After a moment's reflection he shrugged and said, simply, "Exploded." That explanation covered the facts as far as he was able to observe, but it wouldn't be long before the moon again dominated the ...

1358. But I Really Like the Best Seat in the House!

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Years ago I was a director of alcohol and drug programs in a neighboring county. Sadly, I developed a new addiction. I'll put it as honestly as I can ... I became hooked on self-help books, tapes, and videos, especially those that promised if I followed their ten simple steps I would rise to the top of my field. I practiced thinking and growing rich and I studied the magic of thinking big. You name it, and sadly, I probably read it and treated it with close to the respect I gave the Bible at that time. I ...

1359. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Some of us are old enough to remember the old Cat Stevens' tune, "Father And Son." That song, as you might recall, is in the form of a dialogue. The father speaks first and tries to share with his son some of the wisdom he's gained from his years of living. He says that it's not yet time to make a change, relax, and take it easy. Perhaps the son ought to look for a wife. The son, in the next verse, responds that his father is more interested in talking than listening. Dad then replies with his same message ...

1360. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Life was difficult. It always was for prisoners. There were meager rations and hard labor. Sometimes restrained and tortured by the stocks or collar. Left with festering wounds in damp, abandoned cisterns converted to maximum security dungeons. Why was he here? His only crime was criticizing the king for stealing his own brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias wanted John killed, but Herod Antipas was reluctant — he knew the people thought highly of John. John's ministry had begun in the wilderness where he ...

1361. Epiphany 2

Psalm 36:5-10, Isaiah 62:1-5, John 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: Welcome! Together we will explore ancient stories about a wedding, a city, and our life together. People: We’ve come to thank God for the gift of life and to ask for help when our paths are difficult. Leader: Then let our thanks begin — in music, in conversation, and in prayer; let our time together be pleasing to God and to one another. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Gracious God — the year seems fresh and we want to hope that goodness and peace bless us all. We are grateful for the ...

1362. Acts of God?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

Once or twice in our sojourn upon this earth something happens which shapes the course of our lives. Many on the East Coast have experienced such an event. Consider for a moment what has been set in motion from Sandy: *13 foot surge of seawater. 3 feet above the 200 year old record. *90 mph winds *The battery tunnel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn flooded. *74 foot crane in the middle of Manhattan tittering over the city *8.2 million in 7 states from the Carolina’s to Ohio without power *a close call at ...

1363. The Hidden Gifts of Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

One Christmas morning, Dennis, Nancy, and their young son, Eric, were traveling south from San Francisco to their home in Los Angeles. They had spent Christmas Eve with relatives in the Bay Area, but both parents had to work the next day, thus, it was necessary to travel on Christmas. About noon, Dennis and Nancy decided they were hungry so they stopped at a local diner for lunch. Naturally, because it was Christmas, the restaurant was nearly empty and Eric, their young son, was the only child in the ...

1364. The Hidden Gifts of Christ

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

1365. Christ: The Victor over Death

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Sermon

Richard Gribble

In many ways, Nicholas Green was an ordinary seven-year-old boy, but he became a source of life for seven people and a beacon of inspiration for the world. Nicholas was born on New Year's Eve 1986, a new bundle of joy to greet the New Year. Along with his baby sister, Eleanor, and his parents, he enjoyed life and all the fun associated with being a child. With the help of his mother, Maggie, he read all seven books of C. S. Lewis' epic The Chronicles of Narnia. He loved to role play and considered himself ...

1366. The Utmost Patience for the Foremost Sinner

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

We usually don't spend too much time thinking about our own sinfulness. On occasion, of course, our feelings of guilt overwhelm us. We can't stop thinking about our sinfulness. If we are in that situation, we may need to talk that out with someone. Apart from times like that, we don't think much about our own sinfulness. We have ways of getting around that. We don't think about our sins because we are too appalled at the sins of others. The news media throws in our faces the outrageous sins of other people ...

1367. Saint and Sinner

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). In the mid-1920s there was a successful, young, stockbroker who made it big on Wall Street. Really big! He had it all, materially speaking; money, country club membership, wealthy friends. He also drank. A lot! When the crash hit in 1929 and lasted for several years, he lost everything ... except his bottle of gin. His wife had to go to work only to come home day after day exhausted to find her husband drunk on the couch again. He ...

1368. When We Don't Know God

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

In one of his books, writer Bruce Wilkinson reminds us of the story of the late Howard Hughes. Wilkinson says that, if there was one word that would describe Hughes’ ambition, it was the word more. “He wanted more money, so he invested his enormous inheritance and increased it in just a few years to a billion dollars. He wanted more fame, so he went to Hollywood and became a filmmaker and a star. He wanted more sensual pleasure, so he used his fabulous wealth to buy women and any form of sensual pleasure ...

1369. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The United States likes to think of itself as a “great melting pot” - a place where people from all different countries and cultures have come together for over two centuries to form a (somewhat) coherent new whole, a new national identity. But the “E Pluribus Unum” or “Out of Many, One” model was initiated and perfected two millennia ago in the first century, when the creative new entity known as the “ecclesia” or “church” was called into being. For the first time Jews and Gentiles, peoples from Asia, ...

1370. In the Service

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Anyone here remember what they used to call places where you put gas in your car? They weren’t called “gas stations,” or “fueling centers,” but “service stations.” When you pulled in, someone (or sometimes even more than one) raced out to greet you, ask what you needed, and proceeded to fill your gas tank with fuel. While you sat, warm and comfy in your car, the “service station” attendant washed your windows, checked your oil, even checked your tire pressure. After filling up the tank they took your ...

1371. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-56

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week’s gospel text marks the end of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the beginning of the fulfillment of his mission in Jerusalem. Yet even as Jesus sets out on his divinely orchestrated, once and for all mission, Luke’s narrative takes care to draw definite parallels between the prophets of the past and Jesus’ words and actions. At the Transfiguration, Jesus had discussed his impending “departure” with Moses and Elijah (9:31). That departure is now defined as being “taken up” (“analempsis”), an image ...

1372. Jesus’ Four Surprising Road Rules for the Missional Highway

Luke 9:57-62, Luke 9:51-56

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Road Trip! It’s more than a bad coming-of-age movie comedy (2000). For late teens and twenty-somethings, it is a coming of age rite of passage, even an initiatory pilgrimage into adulthood. Whether it is a short trip from a small town to a big city for the weekend, a coast-to-coast marathon to see the USA in a small over-packed car, or a backpacking Euro-rail adventure, a road trip is a first step in finding our own unique life path. Even for adults and the aged, there is nothing like a road trip to get us ...

1373. But First...

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

King Duncan

A lady was taking her time browsing through everything at a yard sale. In a conversation with the homeowner she said, “My husband is going to be very angry when he finds out I stopped at a yard sale.” “I’m sure he’ll understand when you tell him about all the bargains,” the homeowner replied. “Normally, yes,” the lady said. “But he just broke his leg, and he’s waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set.” (1) Some things in life cannot be delayed. But we do delay them. Not for any sinister ...

1374. Your Home Page

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What used to be true for boats is now equally true for cell phones. The best day of your life? The day you bought your boat. The second best day of your life? The day you sold your boat. That kind of love/hate relationship is even fiercer when it comes to our most beloved, most bemoaned tech toy — the “smart phone.” Every time you “upgrade” from a version “3" to “4” to “5” . . . it seems that only minutes later there is a version “6.” Almost as soon as you can get out your credit card, you are the proud ...

1375. Only Time Will Tell

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It is one of those moments parents hope for, even dream about. But it is one of those moments parents are never quite sure will ever come about. It is the moment when you pick up your child from a play date, or birthday party, or sleep-over, and the parent hosting the event declares how well behaved and polite your child has been. Suddenly all those countless drills and dramas about saying “please” and “thank you” or “take turns” or “share” or “be kind to others” are rewarded. It is good to know that even ...

Showing results